Kindred Character Analysis

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Recommended: Theme of love in literature

No two snowflakes are the same, much like humans. Humans deal with certain situations in different ways from one another, particularly in the department of love. In the novel, Kindred, written by Octavia Butler, the audience meets many characters that learn to cope with love or their love for others in unspoken ways. The character, Rufus, is stupid in love. The techniques he uses to keep the people he loves by his side tend to be destructive and possessive. He cannot control his urges to put a leash on his “lovers” to keep them always by his side. His mother, Margaret, acts more pitiful compared to Rufus. She often gets ignored and taken advantage of by the people she loves, so she tries her best to hold on to them (although failing miserably). …show more content…

Before Dana and him meet each other, Kevin’s life is more on the bland side. “I think Kevin was as lonely and out of place as I was when I met him, though he was handling it much better. But then, he was about to escape,” (Butler 52). Kevin is about to escape his life of loneliness before he meets Dana, thus, meaning that he is completely capable of being happy by himself. He has an independent personality. This might be a leading factor as to why Kevin is so loving to Dana since his happiness and security does not rely on her. However, even though he does not need her to function, Kevin is still truly faithful and loyal to Dana. Kevin loves her so much, he even goes back to the past with her to try to ensure her safety. “Suddenly, Kevin was beside me holding me. I tried to push him away. I was afraid for him without knowing why. I shouted for him to let me go,” (Butler 58). He holds on to her without hesitation, fully aware of the consequences that come with going back to the 19th century. This kind of devotion is healthier than the one Margaret has for her son because it is not unrequited. The amount of love Kevin and Dana have is equivalent to each other, therefore, they both respect each other. Since they feel this way about each other, he is fearless when it comes to love, knowing that Dana and him can support each other. When he comes back from spending five years in the 19th century, Kevin becomes more reserved and hidden from the world. “The expression on his face was like something I’d seen, something I was used to seeing on Tom Weylin. Something closed and ugly,” (Butler 194). When a traumatic event happens, even love cannot tarnish the walls built up by the experience. Nonetheless, his character mostly stays the same during this period of time, but he still has to adjust to the “new world,” making him a bit moody and unresponsive. He deals with this situation step by step

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